This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Applications No. 2000-208998, filed Jul. 10, 2000; and No. 2001-203058, filed Jul. 4, 2001, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a microscope focusing apparatus for vertically moving a microscope including a light illuminator for lighting a sample, and focusing on the sample.
A conventional example of a microscope focusing apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,646. The apparatus is a microscope supporting module type apparatus including a linearly movable microscope holder for holding a microscope by a fastener disposed in an opening, a linearly movable slide member for supporting the holder with a fixing screw, and a focusing main body including a column for holding the slide member. In the apparatus, a constituted main component is formed of an extruded/processed material, and an attachment unit can inexpensively be attached to the column.
Moreover, in an apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,565,427, an additional drive transmission apparatus disposed between a focusing drive transmission apparatus and a stage holder is used to rapidly adjust and dispose the microscope in a predetermined position. In the drive transmission apparatus, an eccentric member disposed in the stage holder is rotated by an auxiliary handle disposed separately from a focusing handle, and a stage is raised/lowered to a predetermined height.
With the microscope incorporated for use in an apparatus in a manufacturing factory, and the like, since the microscope holder is of an opening type in the module type focusing apparatus disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,646, a shape of the attached microscope is limited by an opening shape.
A microscope including a light illuminator for lighting a sample is generally attached to a microscope frame comprising a stage on which the sample is to be mounted and a focusing mechanism for focusing on the sample. Therefore, the microscope is not configured to be attached to the opening like the microscope holder. For example, a relatively light illuminator is fixed with a round dovetail. For a heavy light illuminator, since a round dovetail system has an insufficient rigidity, a bolt fixing system or the like is employed.
Moreover, a weight of the microscope largely differs, and a load outside an ability range is applied to the focusing main body. Then, the microscope is naturally lowered and the sample cannot be focused.
Furthermore, since a gravity position of the microscope is not coaxial with a focus moving axis of the focusing main body, a moment is added to a guide of the focusing main body besides the load of a moving axis. When the gravity position and weight of the microscope largely differ and a moment exceeding an allowable rigidity of the guide is added, an image blur occurs, and a satisfactory observed image cannot be obtained.
On the other hand, in the additional drive transmission apparatus disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,565,427, the auxiliary handle is used to rapidly and vertically move the stage by the predetermined height, and a reduction ratio of the focusing handle cannot be selected.
In these conventional arts, the microscope focusing apparatus is exclusively used and a separate focusing handle apparatus is added. Moreover, for the microscope holder, the microscope is inserted and fixed in the slide member by engagement using a slide dovetail. Therefore, in order to smoothly attach the microscope to the slide member, a high-precision slide dovetail processing is required.
An object of the present invention is to provide a microscope focusing apparatus which can broadly and inexpensively be attached to a microscope.
According to the present invention, there is provided a microscope focusing apparatus comprising: a light illuminator; an objective lens; an observation tube; a holder which holds the light illuminator, the objective lens and the observation tube; a focusing main body including a focusing movable portion which linearly and vertically moves; and an attaching portion, formed in the focusing movable portion, which fixes the holder, wherein the holder comprises a first holder including a first support, the first support disposed on an observation optical axis, which supports the light illuminator, and a second holder including a second support, the second support disposed outside the observation optical axis, which supports the light illuminator, and one of the first and second holders can be selectively attached to the attaching portion.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.